James hand



(No Model.)

' J. HAND. HORSE BLANKET.

No. 541,536, Patented June 25, 1895.

UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

JAMES HAND, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR 'IO WILLIAM M. AYRES, LOUIS H. AYRES, AND JAMES HAND, SAME PLACE.

HORSE-BLANKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 541,536, dated June 25, 1895. Application filed Ju y 16,1894. Serial No. 517,708. (N o specimens.)

T0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

' Be it known that I, JAMES HAND, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Irnprovements in Horse-Blankets, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to so construct a horse blanket that the neck opening of the same will be capable of expansion or contraction so as to readily adapt itself to horses having necks of different sizes, and this object I attain in the manner hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a horseblanket constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view, on a larger scale, of part of the'blanket. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of part of the neck of the blanket, showing the same expanded. Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of part of the blanket, showing the parts in the same relation as in Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but showing theparts in the same relation to each other as in Fig. 3.

A properly constructed horse blanket should be so formed as to fit snugly to the neck of the horse when the blanket is applied and yet should have such provision for adjustment at the neck that it can be expanded or contracted within certain limits so as to adapt the blanket to horses having necks which vary in size. In other words, a blanket of a given size should fit the neck of any one of a certain range of horses with the same snugness as if it had been specially fitted to the horse to which it is applied. In order to attain this object I slit'the blanket. part way along the back seam at the top of the neck and place beneath the slit thus formed a flap A which is secured at one edge to one of the side flaps a of the blanket which results from the slitting of the back of the same, the opposite edge of said flapA being'connected by an elastic strap or band-b to the opposite side flap a of the blanket. The two flaps a a are connected by straps d d and a buckle f so that the flaps may be drawn close together as shown in Fig. 1, if the neck of the horse is small, or may be permitted to spread to any desired extent in order that the blanket may accommodate itself to the neck of a horse oflarger size, the limit of separation being represented in Fig. 3. f 7

Whatever may be the extent of separation of the flaps a a the gap is always closed by the inner flap A which is always retained in proper position owing to the elastic connection between the edge of the same 'and' the flap a and if desired both edges of the flap A may have such elastic connection, the rigid connection of one edge, however, being preferred.

The breast portion of the blanket is, by preference, provided with the usual adjusting straps and buckles.

In some cases the neck portion of the blanket may be slitted and provided with socuring devices and flaps, at each side of the neck opening instead of at the top, such modified construction being shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, but the double adjustment, which this would necessitate, might in many cases be objectionable. Hence the slitting of the blanket at the top of the neck opening is consideredthe preferable construction.

I am aware that it has been proposed to provide the adjustable breast opening'of a horse blanket with an under flap having an elastic gusset at the top, such flap being secured to the opposite sides of the blanket at the breast opening, and also that it has been proposed to provide the sides of the blanket at the lower edge with V-shaped gussets of v flexible material united at each edge to the Such edges of slits formed in the blanket. construction, however, is distinct from my invention, for in my blanket, slits are formed in the neck opening above the breast opening and preferably at the back of the neck and the under flapwhich bridges each' slit is secured to the blanket at one edge only, the other edge being free to move independently of the blanket so that the flap 'will lie perfectly flat whether the slitted portion of the blanket be expanded or contracted, the elastic connection between the free edge of the flap and the blanket serving to aid in the attainment of this result.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- A horse blanket slitted at one or more points around the neck opening above the breast opening so as to provide opposite flaps, in combination with means for securing said flaps together and a flap lying beneath said side flaps so as to bridge the gap formed by the separation of the same, said under flap IO being rigidly secured to one of the side flaps,

and yieldingly secured to the other of the side flaps, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JAMES HAND. Witnesses:

WVILLIAM A. BARR, JOSEPH H. KLEIN. 

